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Inventors
Steinberger, Richard Ned
Application #
312882
Filed
May-17-1999
Published
Jul-24-2001
Current US Class
084/267
084/291
084/293
International Classes
G10D 003/00
Field of Search
84/293 84/267 84/291
Examiners
Hsieh; Shih-Yung
Attorney, Agent or Firm
Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik, LLP
US Patent References
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Neck-body joint for... |
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Piano |
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Reinforced stringe... |
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Electric guitar |
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Stringed musical i... |
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Stringed instrument... |
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| 4228715 |
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Strain-gauge soun... |
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| 4335641 |
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String instrument |
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| 4411186 |
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Stringed musical i... |
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| 4432267 |
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Adjustable neck-bo... |
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| 4557174 |
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Guitar neck incorp... |
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| 4656915 |
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Tremolo mechanis... |
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| 4768415 |
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Tremolo bridge for... |
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| 5018423 |
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Neck adjustment m... |
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| 5025695 |
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Stringed instrument... |
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| 5421233 |
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Adjustable neck de... |
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| 5458035 |
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Adjusting mechani... |
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| 5549027 |
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Stringed acoustic... |
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Adjustable neck for... |
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Neck joint for string... |
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Referenced by:
View Backward References
Citation
Cite This Patent
More From Subclass 291
More From Class 084
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Abstract
A stringed musical instrument having an instrument body and an elongated neck along which the strings are stretched. A spring-loaded clamping device is provided by securing the neck to the body while permitting limited pivotal movement of the neck relative to the body. The clamping device includes a spring arranged to provide a biasing force for urging the neck toward a neck seating position on the body, and an adjustment member is moveably mounted on either the neck or the body so as to move in a direction opposing the biasing force of the spring in order to cause the neck to pivot away from the neck seating position, to thereby adjust the angular position of the neck relative to the body to adjust the action of the instrument. An intonation adjustment mechanism is also provided for adjusting the intonation of the instrument, and which advantageously provides for rigidity enhancement by urging the neck against a side of the neck recess to provide a firm, rigid and stable mounting of the neck to the body.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A stringed musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body having a recess to receive a neck, said recess having a bottom surface;
a longitudinally extending neck having an end and a bottom mounting surface at said end to be received in said recess of said body;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
a mounting device engaging said neck and said body for securing said neck in said recess of said body, said mounting device being operative so as to permit said neck to pivot about a pivot axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of said neck between a first position in which said bottom mounting surface of said neck engages said bottom surface of said recess and a second position in which at least a portion of said bottom mounting surface is disposed away from said bottom surface of said recess, and said mounting device comprising at least one bolt having a shaft and a head, said shaft of said bolt being arranged to extend at least partially through said neck and said body and through said bottom surface of said recess and said bottom mounting surface of said neck, and arranged to engage one of said neck and said body, and said bolt being arranged at an inclined angle relative to said bottom surface of said recess;
at least one spring member operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on said neck and said body to urge said neck towards said first position, said at least one spring member being arranged about said shaft of said bolt and positioned between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body; and
an adjustment member operatively arranged with respect to said neck and said body so as to oppose said biasing force, said adjustment member being positioned remote from said pivot axis and being moveable so as to cause said neck to pivot about said pivot axis to adjust the angular position of said bottom mounting surface of said neck relative to said bottom surface of said recess to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
2. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said recess in said body has a front edge, and wherein said pivot axis is located along said front edge of said recess.
3. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said at least one spring member comprises at least one belleville spring washer arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.
4. The stringed musical instrument of claim 3, further including a plurality of said belleville spring washers arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.
5. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said bolt is inclined along a direction so that said biasing force of said at least one spring member includes a force component along said longitudinal direction of said instrument.
6. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said body includes a heel block in which said recess is provided; wherein said bolt extends through a bore provided in said heel block with the end of said shaft of said bolt engaging said neck; and wherein said at least one spring member is arranged about said bolt between said head of said bolt and said heel block and is operative to force said head of said bolt away from said heel block.
7. The stringed musical instrument of claim 6, wherein there are two bolts for securing said neck to said body.
8. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on said one of said neck and said body at a predetermined distance from said pivot axis, and wherein said at least one holding member is arranged so as to be located at a distance from said pivot axis which is less than said predetermined distance.
9. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said adjustment member is located so as to at least partially extend through said recess in said body.
10. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of said bolts, each of which has at least one of said spring members operatively associated therewith.
11. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on said neck, and wherein said body includes a bearing surface provided in said recess and arranged to be contacted by said adjustment member.
12. The stringed musical instrument of claim 11, wherein said adjustment member is threadably mounted on said neck and is rotatable to adjust the amount that the end of said adjustment member extends from said bottom mounting surface of said neck.
13. The stringed musical instrument of claim 12, wherein said neck includes a fingerboard having frets on the surface thereof below said strings, and wherein said fingerboard includes an opening therein to provide access through the surface of said fingerboard to rotate said adjustment member.
14. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and is accessible from the bottom of said body.
15. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said instrument body comprises an acoustic guitar body.
16. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said instrument body comprises a solid electric guitar body.
17. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein said strings exert a tension on said neck to cause said neck to pivot in a direction toward said first position.
18. The stringed musical instrument of claim 1, wherein adjustment of the position of said neck between said first and second positions is accomplished by moving said adjustment member without adjusting said mounting device.
19. A stringed musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body having a recess to receive a neck, said recess having a bottom surface;
a longitudinally extending neck having an end and a bottom mounting surface at said end to be received in said recess of said body;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
a mounting device engaging said neck and said body for securing said neck in said recess of said body, said mounting device being operative so as to permit said neck to pivot about a pivot axis transverse to the longitudinal extent of said neck between a first position in which said bottom mounting surface of said neck engages said bottom surface of said recess and a second position in which at least a portion of said bottom mounting surface is disposed away from said bottom surface of said recess, and said mounting device including an upstanding pin extending upwardly from said bottom surface of said recess and through said bottom mounting surface of said neck;
at least one spring member operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on said neck and said body to urge said neck towards said first position; and
an adjustment member mounted on one of said neck and said body and engaging the other of said neck and said body, said adjustment member being positioned remote from said pivot axis and operative to act against said biasing force, and being moveable so as to cause said neck to pivot about said pivot axis to adjust the angular position of said bottom mounting surface of said neck relative to said bottom surface of said recess to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
20. The stringed musical instrument of claim 19, wherein said upstanding pin is secured to said body and said neck has a recess extending from said bottom mounting surface for receiving said pin.
21. The stringed musical instrument of claim 20, wherein the end of said pin received in said recess in said neck has an end shaped so as to permit tilting of said neck relative to said pin.
22. A stringed musical instrument comprising:
a neck having a longitudinal axis, an end and a bottom mounting surface at said end;
an instrument body having a recess to receive said bottom mounting surface of said neck, said recess having a bottom surface and at least one side surface which extends substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said neck;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
a mounting device engaging said neck and said body for securing said neck in said recess of said body, said mounting device being operative so as to permit said neck to move between a first position in which said bottom mounting surface of said neck engages said bottom surface of said recess and a second position in which at least a portion of said bottom mounting surface is disposed away from said bottom surface of said recess, and said mounting device being operative to urge said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess to provide a secure mounting of said neck to said body;
at least one spring member operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on said neck and said body to urge said neck towards said first position; and
an adjustment member mounted on one of said neck and said body and engaging the other of said neck and said body, said adjustment member being arranged to act against said biasing force and being movable so as to adjust the position of said neck between said first and second positions to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
23. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and has an end passing through said bottom surface of said recess and wherein said neck includes a bearing surface engagable by said end of said adjustment member.
24. The stringed musical instrument of claim 23, wherein said bearing surface is oriented at an acute angle relative to said bottom mounting surface of said neck, whereupon urging of said adjustment member against said bearing surface forces said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess.
25. The stringed musical instrument of claim 24, wherein said angled bearing surface is oriented so that urging of said adjustment member against said bearing surface forces said neck in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said neck.
26. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, further including a bridge on said instrument body and a nut on said neck, wherein said plurality of strings are attached to said body and said neck so as to extend over said bridge and said nut, the distance between said bridge and said nut defining the harmonic length of said strings; and wherein said mounting device includes an intonation adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between said bridge and said nut to thereby adjust the intonation of said instrument.
27. The stringed musical instrument of claim 26, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism includes a longitudinal position control device having a bearing portion mounted in said body so as to move said bearing portion in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the direction that said strings extend; and a bearing member provided in said neck and engagable by said bearing portion of said longitudinal position control device, whereby adjustment of the position of said bearing portion relative to said body in turn adjusts the position of said neck relative to said body to adjust the intonation of said instrument.
28. The stringed musical instrument of claim 27, wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a rocker arm mounted to pivot about an axis extending in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction that said strings extend, and a control member; wherein said rocker arm has a first end which includes said bearing portion for engaging said bearing member in said neck and a second end; and wherein said control member is mounted in said body and has an end engagable with said second end of said rocker arm to pivot said rocker arm to move said bearing portion against said bearing member.
29. The stringed musical instrument of claim 28, wherein said control member comprises a threaded bolt threadably mounted in said body and engagable with said second end of said rocker arm.
30. The stringed musical instrument of claim 29, further including a mounting plate secured to said body in said recess and having a slot therein for mounting said rocker arm in a manner so that said rocker arm pivots about an axis extending transversely through said slot.
31. The stringed musical instrument of claim 29, wherein said first end of said rocker arm has an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal direction that said strings extend, and wherein said bearing member in said neck has an complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said rocker arm and arranged so that pivoting of said rocker arm causes said neck to be urged against said side of said recess.
32. The stringed musical instrument of claim 27, at least a part of said longitudinal position control device is threadably mounted in said body, and wherein rotation of said part of said longitudinal position control device causes movement of said bearing portion along said longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the direction said strings extend.
33. The stringed musical instrument of claim 32, wherein said mounting device further includes a housing mounted in said recess and having a longitudinally extending bore aligned with said longitudinal direction that said strings extend; wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a push rod mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in said bore of said housing and a threaded control member threadably mounted in said housing, said push rod having said bearing portion at a first end thereof which is engagable with said bearing member in said neck, and having a second opposite end; and said threaded control member is operative to move said push rod within said longitudinally extending bore of said housing in response to rotation of said threaded control member.
34. The stringed musical instrument of claim 33, wherein said threaded control member is threadably mounted within said housing in alignment with said bore, and engagable with said second end of said push rod to cause said push rod to move longitudinally in response to rotational movement of said control member.
35. The stringed musical instrument of claim 33, wherein said first end of said push rod includes an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal direction that said strings extend, and wherein said bearing member in said neck includes a complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said push rod and arranged so that longitudinal movement of said push rod causes said neck to be urged against said at least one side surface of said recess.
36. The stringed musical instrument of claim 33, further including a push-block for engaging said second end of said push rod, said push-block including a threaded bore therethrough, and wherein said threaded control member includes a threaded bolt engagable in said threaded bore of said push-block and carried by said housing, said push-block and said threaded bolt being operative so that rotation of said threaded bolt causes said push-block to move longitudinally to move said push rod.
37. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on said neck, and wherein said body includes a bearing surface provided in said recess and arranged to be contacted by said adjustment member.
38. The stringed musical instrument of claim 37, wherein said adjustment member is threadably mounted on said neck and is rotatable to adjust the amount that the end of said adjustment member extends from said bottom mounting surface of said neck.
39. The stringed musical instrument of claim 38, wherein said neck includes a fingerboard having frets on the surface thereof below said strings, and wherein said fingerboard includes an opening therein to provide access through the surface of said fingerboard to rotate said adjustment member.
40. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and is accessible from the bottom of said body.
41. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein said instrument body comprises an acoustic guitar body.
42. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein said instrument body comprises a solid electric guitar body.
43. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein said strings exert a tension on said neck to cause said neck to pivot in a direction toward said first position.
44. The stringed musical instrument of claim 22, wherein adjustment of the position of said neck between said first and second positions is accomplished by moving said adjustment member without adjusting said mounting device.
45. A stringed musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body having a fulcrum;
a neck extending outwardly from said instrument body in a longitudinal direction and arranged so as to be pivotable about said fulcrum on said body;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
at least one holding member for securing said neck to said instrument body, said holding member operatively engaging said neck and said body and arranged in a manner so as to permit said neck to pivot about said fulcrum relative to said instrument body, said at least one holding member comprising a bolt having a shaft and a head, said shaft of said bolt being arranged to extend through one of said neck and said body and to engage the other of said neck and said body, and said bolt being arranged at an inclined angle relative to said longitudinal direction that said neck extends;
at least one spring member operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on said neck and said instrument body to urge said neck to pivot toward a first direction, said at least one spring member being arranged about said shaft of said bolt and positioned between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body so that said biasing force of said at least one spring member includes a force component along said longitudinal direction that said neck extends; and
a movable adjustment member operatively engaging said neck and said body and arranged in a manner so as to act against said biasing force of said at least one spring member, said adjustment member being movable so as to adjust the angular position of said neck relative to said instrument body to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
46. The stringed musical instrument of claim 45, wherein said at least one spring member comprises at least one belleville spring washer arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.
47. The stringed musical instrument of claim 46, further including a plurality of said belleville spring washers arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.
48. The stringed musical instrument of claim 45, wherein said body includes a recess having a front edge, and wherein said fulcrum is located along said front edge of said recess.
49. The stringed musical instrument of claim 48, wherein said adjustment member is threadably mounted on said neck and is rotatable to adjust the amount that the end of said adjustment member extends from the bottom surface of said neck.
50. The stringed musical instrument of claim 49, wherein said neck includes a fingerboard having frets on the surface thereof below said strings, and wherein said fingerboard includes an opening therein to provide access through the surface of said fingerboard to rotate said adjustment member.
51. The stringed musical instrument of claim 45, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and is accessible from the bottom of said body.
52. The stringed musical instrument of claim 45, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on one of said neck and said body at a predetermined distance from said fulcrum, and wherein said at least one holding member is arranged so as to be located at a distance from said fulcrum which is less than said predetermined distance.
53. The stringed musical instrument of claim 45, wherein there are a plurality of said holding members, each of which has at least one of said spring members operatively associated therewith.
54. A string musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body, said body including a recess having a front edge and at least one side surface which extends substantially perpendicular to said front edge, and said body further including a fulcrum located along said front edge of said recess;
a neck having a longitudinal axis and an end received within said recess of said body, said neck extending outwardly from said instrument body and arranged so as to be pivotable about said fulcrum on said body, said longitudinal axis of said neck extending substantially parallel to said at least one side surface of said recess;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
a mounting device operative to urge said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess;
at least one holding member for securing said neck to said instrument body, said holding member operatively engaging in said neck and said body and arranged in a manner so as to permit said neck to pivot about said fulcrum relative to said instrument body;
at least one spring member operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on said neck and said instrument body to urge said neck to pivot toward a first direction; and
an adjustment member movably mounted on one of said neck and said instrument body and engaging the other of said neck and said instrument body, said adjustment member being arranged in a manner so as to act against said biasing force and being movable so as to adjust the angular position of said neck relative to said instrument body to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
55. The stringed musical instrument of claim 54, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and has an end passing through the bottom surface of said recess and wherein said mounting device includes a bearing surface in said neck engagable by said end of said adjustment member and oriented in a manner so as to force said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess.
56. The stringed musical instrument of claim 54, further including a bridge on said instrument body and a nut on said neck; wherein said plurality of strings are attached to said body and said neck so as to extend over said bridge and said nut, the distance between said bridge and said nut defining the harmonic length of said strings; and further including an intonation adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between said bridge and said nut to thereby adjust the intonation of said instrument.
57. The stringed musical instrument of claim 56, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism includes a longitudinal position control device having a bearing portion mounted in said body so as to move said bearing portion in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said neck, and a bearing member provided in said neck and engagable by said bearing portion of said longitudinal position control device, whereby adjustment of the position of said bearing portion relative to said body in turn adjusts the position of said neck relative to said body to adjust the intonation of said instrument.
58. The stringed musical instrument of claim 57, wherein at least part of said longitudinal position control device is threadably mounted in said body, and wherein rotation of said part of said longitudinal position control device causes movement of said bearing portion along said longitudinal axis of said neck.
59. The stringed musical instrument of claim 58, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism further includes a housing mounted in said recess and having a longitudinally extending bore aligned with said longitudinal axis of said neck; wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a push rod mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in said bore of said housing and a threaded control member threadably mounted in said housing, said push rod having said bearing portion at a first end thereof which is engagable with said bearing member in said neck, and having a second opposite end; and wherein said threaded control member is operative to move said push rod within said longitudinally extending bore of said housing in response to rotation of said threaded control member.
60. The stringed musical instrument of claim 59, wherein said first end of said push rod includes an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal axis of said neck, and wherein said bearing member in said neck includes a complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said push rod and arranged so that longitudinal movement of said push rod causes said neck to be urged against said at least one side surface of said recess.
61. The stringed musical instrument of claim 59, further including a push-block for engaging said second end of said push rod, said push-block including a threaded bore therethrough, and wherein said threaded control member includes a threaded bolt engagable in said threaded bore of said push-block and carried by said housing, said push-block and said threaded bolt being operative so that rotation of said threaded bolt causes said push-block to move longitudinally to move said push rod.
62. The stringed musical instrument of claim 57, wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a rocker arm mounted to pivot about an axis extending in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis of said neck, and a control member; wherein said rocker arm has a first end which includes said bearing portion for engaging said bearing member in said neck and a second end; and wherein said control member is mounted in said body and has an end engagable with said second end of said rocker arm to pivot said rocker arm to move said bearing portion against said bearing member.
63. The stringed musical instrument of claim 62, wherein said first end of said rocker arm has an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal axis of said neck, and wherein said bearing member in said neck has an complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said rocker arm and arranged so that pivoting of said rocker arm causes said neck to be urged against said side of said recess.
64. The stringed musical instrument of claim 54, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on one of said neck and said body at a predetermined distance from said fulcrum, and wherein said at least one holding member is arranged so as to be located at a distance from said fulcrum which is less than said predetermined distance.
65. The stringed musical instrument of claim 54, wherein there are a plurality of said holding members, each of which has at least one of said spring members operatively associated therewith.
66. A string musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body;
a neck arranged to extent in a longitudinal direction outwardly from said instrument body;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
at least one bolt member operatively engaging said neck and said body for securing said neck to said instrument body, said bolt member being arranged at an inclined angle relative to said longitudinal direction that said neck extends and arranged in a manner so as to permit said neck to pivot relative to said instrument body to adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck;
at least one spring member operatively arranged between said bolt member arranged at an inclined angle and one of said neck and said body to provide a biasing force acting to urge said neck to pivot in a first direction relative to said instrument body, said biasing force including a force component along said longitudinal direction that said neck extends; and
an adjustment member operatively arranged with respect to said neck and said instrument body so as to oppose said biasing force of said spring member and provide a stop for the pivotal movement of said neck relative to said instrument body, said adjustment member being movable so as to adjust the angular position of said neck relative to said body to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
67. The stringed musical instrument of claim 66, wherein said bolt member has a shaft and a head, said shaft of said bolt member being arranged to extend through said one of said neck and said body and to engage the other of said neck and said body, and wherein said at least one spring member is arranged about said shaft of said bolt member and positioned between said head of said bolt member and said one of said neck and said body to urge said neck to pivot towards said first direction.
68. The stringed musical instrument of claim 67, wherein said at least one spring member comprises at least one belleville spring washer arranged between said head of said bolt member and said one of said neck and said body.
69. The stringed musical instrument of claim 68, further including a plurality of said belleville spring washers arranged between said head of said bolt member and said one of said neck and said body.
70. The stringed musical instrument of claim 66, wherein said body includes recess having a front edge, and wherein said neck is pivotable along said front edge of said recess.
71. The stringed musical instrument of claim 66, wherein there are two bolt members for securing said neck to said body.
72. The stringed musical instrument of claim 66, wherein said adjustment member is threadably mounted on said neck and is rotatable to adjust the amount that the end of said adjustment member extends from the bottom of said neck.
73. The stringed musical instrument of claim 72, wherein said neck includes a fingerboard having frets on the surface thereof below said strings, and wherein said fingerboard includes an opening therein to provide access through the surface of said fingerboard to rotate said adjustment member.
74. The stringed musical instrument of claim 66, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and is accessible from the bottom of said body.
75. A stringed musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body, said body including a recess having a front edge and at least one side surface which extends in a longitudinal direction;
a neck arranged within said recess of said body and extending outwardly from said instrument body in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to said longitudinal direction of said recess, said neck being pivotal along said front edge of said recess;
a mounting device operative to urge said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
at least one bolt member for securing said neck to said instrument body, said bolt member operatively engaging said neck and said body and arranged in a manner so as to permit said neck to pivot along said front edge of said recess to adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck;
at least one spring member operatively arranged between said bolt and one of said neck and said body to provide a biasing force acting to urge said neck to pivot in a first direction about said front edge of said recess of said instrument body; and
an adjustment member operatively arranged with respect to said neck and said instrument body so as to oppose said biasing force of said spring member and provide a stop for the pivotal movement of said neck relative to said instrument body, said adjustment member being movable so as to adjust the angular position of said neck relative to said instrument body to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
76. The stringed musical instrument of claim 75, wherein said recess in said body includes a bottom surface, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and has an end passing through said bottom surface of said recess and wherein said mounting device includes a bearing surface in said neck engagable by said end of said adjustment member and oriented in a manner so as to force said neck against said at least one side of said recess.
77. The stringed musical instrument of claim 70, further including a bridge on said instrument body and a nut on said neck; wherein said plurality of strings are attached to said body and said neck so as to extend over said bridge and said nut, the distance between said bridge and said nut defining the harmonic length of said strings; and further including an intonation adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between said bridge and said nut to thereby adjust the intonation of said instrument.
78. The stringed musical instrument of claim 77, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism is operative to urge said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess to provide a secure mounting of said neck to said body.
79. The stringed musical instrument of claim 77, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism includes a longitudinal position control device having a bearing portion mounted in said body so as to move said bearing portion in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction that said neck extends, and a bearing member provided in said neck and engagable by said bearing portion of said longitudinal position control device, whereby adjustment of the position of said bearing portion relative to said body in turn adjusts the position of said neck relative to said body to adjust the intonation of said instrument.
80. The stringed musical instrument of claim 79, wherein at least a part of said longitudinal position control device is threadably mounted in said body, and wherein rotation of said part of said longitudinal position control device causes movement of said bearing portion along said longitudinal direction that said neck extends.
81. The stringed musical instrument of claim 80, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism further includes a housing mounted in said recess and having a longitudinally extending bore aligned with said longitudinal direction that said neck extends; wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a push rod mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in said bore of said housing and a threaded control member threadably mounted in said housing, said push rod having said bearing portion at a first end thereof which is engagable with said bearing member in said neck, and having a second opposite end; and wherein said threaded control member is operative to move said push rod within said longitudinally extending bore of said housing in response to rotation of said threaded control member.
82. The stringed musical instrument of claim 81, wherein said first end of said push rod includes an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal direction that said neck extends, and wherein said bearing member in said neck includes a complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said push rod and arranged so that longitudinal movement of said push rod causes said neck to be urged against said at least one side surface of said recess.
83. The stringed musical instrument of claim 81, further including a push-block for engaging said second end of said push rod, said push-block including a threaded bore therethrough, and wherein said threaded control member includes a threaded bolt engagable in said threaded bore of said push-block and carried by said housing, said push-block and said threaded bolt being operative so that rotation of said thread bolt causes said push-block to move longitudinally to move said push rod.
84. The stringed musical instrument of claim 79, wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a rocker arm mounted to pivot about an axis extending in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction that said neck extends, and a control member; wherein said rocker arm has a first end which includes said bearing portion for engaging said bearing member in said neck and a second end; and wherein said control member is mounted in said body and has an end engagable with said second end of said rocker arm to pivot said rocker arm to move said bearing portion against said bearing member.
85. The stringed musical instrument of claim 84, wherein said first end of said rocker arm has an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal direction that of said neck extends, and wherein said bearing member in said neck has an complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said rocker arm and arranged so that pivoting of said rocker arm causes said neck to be urged against said at least one side surface of said recess.
86. The stringed musical instrument of claim 75, wherein there are two bolt members for securing said neck to said body.
87. The stringed musical instrument of claim 75, wherein said adjustment member is threadably mounted on said neck and is rotatable to adjust the amount that the end of said adjustment member extends from the bottom of said neck.
88. The stringed musical instrument of claim 87, wherein said neck includes a fingerboard having frets on the surface thereof below said strings, and wherein said fingerboard includes an opening therein to provide access through the surface of said fingerboard to rotate said adjustment member.
89. The stringed musical instrument of claim 75, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and is accessible from the bottom of said body.
90. A stringed musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body;
a neck extending in a longitudinal direction outwardly from said instrument body and arranged to pivot relative to said body;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
a spring-loaded clamping device securing said neck to said body while permitting limited pivotal movement of said neck relative to said body, said spring-loaded clamping device including a bolt having a shaft and a head, said shaft of said bolt being arranged to extend through one of said neck and said body at inclined angle relative to said longitudinal direction that said neck extends and to engage the other of said neck and said body, said clamping device further including a spring arranged about said shaft of said bolt and positioned between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body to provide a biasing force for urging said neck towards a neck seating position on said body, said biasing force provided by said spring including a force component along said longitudinal direction that said neck extends; and
a movable adjustment member operatively engaging said neck and said body, said adjustment member being arranged to oppose said biasing force and being movable to cause said neck to pivot away from said neck seating position to adjust the angular position of said neck relative to said body to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
91. The stringed musical instrument of claim 90, wherein said spring comprises at least one belleville spring washer arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.
92. The stringed musical instrument of claim 91, wherein said spring includes a plurality of said belleville spring washers arranged between said head of said bolt and said one of said neck and said body.
93. The stringed musical instrument of claim 90, wherein said body includes a recess having a front edge, and wherein said neck is mounted so as to be pivotable on said front edge of said recess.
94. The stringed musical instrument of claim 90, wherein said adjustment member is mounted in said body and is accessible from the bottom of said body.
95. The stringed musical instrument of claim 90, wherein there are two spring-loaded clamping devices for securing said neck to said body.
96. A string musical instrument comprising:
an instrument body, said instrument body including a recess having a front edge and at least one side surface which extends in a longitudinal direction;
a neck having a longitudinal axis and an end received in said recess of said instrument body, said neck extending outwardly from said instrument body in a direction so that said longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to said longitudinal direction that said at least one side surface extends, and said neck being arranged to be pivotable relative to said body about said front edge of said recess;
a mounting device operatively arranged to force said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess;
a plurality of strings attached to said body and said neck;
a spring-loaded clamping device securing said neck to said body while permitting limited pivotal movement of said neck relative to said body, said clamping device including a spring to provide a biasing force for urging said neck toward a neck seating position on said body; and
an adjustment member operatively engaging said neck and said body and arranged in a manner to oppose said biasing force, said adjustment member being movable so as to cause said neck to pivot away from said neck seating position to adjust the angular position of said neck relative to said body to thereby adjust the position of said strings relative to said neck.
97. The stringed musical instrument of claim 96, wherein said recess in said body has a bottom surface, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on said body and has an end passing through said bottom surface of said recess and wherein said mounting device includes a bearing surface in said neck engagable by said end of said adjustment member and oriented in a manner so as to force said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess.
98. The stringed musical instrument of claim 96, further including a bridge on said instrument body and a nut on said neck; wherein said plurality of strings are attached to said body and said neck so as to extend over said bridge and said nut, the distance between said bridge and said nut defining the harmonic length of said strings; and further including an intonation adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between said bridge and said nut to thereby adjust the intonation of said instrument.
99. The stringed musical instrument of claim 98, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism is operative to urge said neck against said at least one side surface of said recess to provide a secure mounting of said neck to said body.
100. The stringed musical instrument of claim 99, wherein said intonation adjustment mechanism includes a longitudinal position control device having a bearing portion mounted in said body so as to move said bearing portion in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the direction that said strings extend, and a bearing member provided in said neck and engagable by said bearing portion of said longitudinal position control device, whereby adjustment of the position of said bearing portion relative to said body in turn adjusts the position of said neck relative to said body to adjust the intonation of said instrument.
101. The stringed musical instrument of claim 100, wherein at least a part of said longitudinal position control device is threadably mounted in said body, and wherein rotation of said part of said longitudinal position control device causes movement of said bearing portion along said longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the direction said strings extend.
102. The stringed musical instrument of claim 101, wherein said intonation adjustment member further includes a housing mounted in said recess and having a longitudinally extending bore aligned with said longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the direction said strings extend; wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a push rod mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in said bore of said housing and a threaded control member threadably mounted in said housing, said push rod having said bearing portion at a first end thereof which is engagable with said bearing member in said neck, and having a second opposite end; and wherein said threaded control member is operative to move said push rod within said longitudinally extending bore of said housing in response to rotation of said threaded control member.
103. The stringed musical instrument of claim 102, wherein said first end of said push rod includes an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal direction that said strings extend, and wherein said bearing member in said neck includes a complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said push rod and arranged so that longitudinal movement of said push rod causes said neck to be urged against said at least one side surface of said recess.
104. The stringed musical instrument of claim 102, further including a push-block for engaging said second end of said push rod, said push-block including a threaded bore therethrough, and wherein said threaded control member includes a threaded bolt engagable in said threaded bore of said push-block and carried by said housing, said push-block and said threaded bolt being operative so that rotation of said threaded bolt causes said push-block to move longitudinally to move said push rod.
105. The stringed musical instrument of claim 100, wherein said longitudinal position control device comprises a rocker arm mounted to pivot about an axis extending in a direction transverse to said longitudinal direction that said strings extend, and a control member; wherein said rocker arm has a first end which includes said bearing portion for engaging said bearing member in said neck and a second end; and wherein said control member is mounted in said body and has an end engagable with said second end of said rocker arm to pivot said rocker arm to move said bearing portion against said bearing member.
106. The stringed musical instrument of claim 105, wherein said first end of said rocker arm has an angled surface arranged at an acute angle to said longitudinal direction that said strings extend, and wherein said bearing member in said neck has an complimentary angled surface angled to match said angled surface on said rocker arm and arranged so that pivoting of said rocker arm causes said neck to be urged against said side at least one of said recess.
107. The stringed musical instrument of claim 96, wherein said adjustment member is threadably mounted on said neck and is rotatable to adjust the amount that the end of said adjustment member extends from the bottom of said neck.
108. The stringed musical instrument of claim 107, wherein said neck includes a fingerboard having frets on the surface thereof below said strings, and wherein said fingerboard includes an opening therein to provide access through the surface of said fingerboard to rotate said adjustment member.
109. The stringed musical instrument of claim 96, wherein said adjustment member is mounted on said one of said neck and said body at a predetermined distance from said front edge of said recess, and wherein said spring-loaded clamping device is arranged so as to be located at a distance from said front edge of said recess which is less than said predetermined distance.
110. The stringed musical instrument of claim 96, wherein there are two spring-loaded clamping devices for securing said neck to said body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stringed musical instruments of the type which include an instrument body, a neck extending therefrom and a plurality of strings attached at one end to the instrument body and at the other end to the neck. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved system for mounting the neck of the instrument to the instrument body in a manner so that the position of the strings relative to the neck can be easily, quickly and accurately adjusted. The stringed musical instruments in accordance with the present invention may include guitars, such as acoustic guitars, solid body electric guitars and acoustic electric guitars, but may also include other such stringed musical instruments such as, for example, banjos, mandolins, violins, lutes and/or other similar instruments. Although the principles of the present invention will be described herein in connection with guitars, both acoustic and solid body electric, it should be understood that the principles disclosed are also applicable to other stringed instruments which have an instrument body and an elongated neck along which the strings are stretched.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stringed musical instruments of the type with which the present invention is concerned typically include an instrument body and an elongated neck along which the strings are stretched. In a guitar, the strings are attached at one end to the neck of the instrument, typically by means of tuning keys or tuning machines provided on the end of the neck remote from the instrument body, often termed the "head" of the guitar. The strings then extend over a "nut" provided at the head end of the neck and extend along the neck toward the body. The other ends of the strings are attached either directly to a bridge which in turn is mounted on the body, or to a tailpiece provided behind the bridge mounted on the body and over which the strings extend. In the play of the instrument, the player moves his fingers up and down the neck, clamping the strings so as to shorten them and create various pitches as the strings are strummed, plucked, or otherwise excited. Typically, the neck of the instrument may be covered with a fingerboard which may carry frets thereon extending across the width of the neck so as to provide a means for anchoring the ends of the shortened strings at definite or desired locations.
In the case of an acoustic instrument, such as an acoustic guitar, the body of the instrument encloses a resonant sound chamber. Strumming, plucking or otherwise exciting the strings causes the strings to vibrate. This vibration in turn causes the bridge over which the strings extend to vibrate as well. In fact, the bridge forms the vibrating end point of the strings for every note that is played. Vibration of the bridge in turn causes the top of the acoustic instrument, known as the soundboard, to vibrate as well, which is turn causes air entrapped in the sound chamber to move to generate the sound heard upon play of the instrument. In the case of electric guitars, the instrument body is usually solid, and pickup devices are utilized to convert the string vibration into sound generated by an amplifier or the like. Some types of electric guitars are acoustic electric guitars which will function as an acoustic guitar but can also be provided with a pickup so that acoustic sound is amplified.
There are three general kinds of neck joints which have been used in stringed musical instruments. "Neck-through" instruments have a neck which extends completely through the instrument, and are almost always permanently glued in place. "Set-neck" instruments have a neck which is also permanently glued in place, with a tenon or dovetail joint where the body meets the neck. These instruments usually have a neck heel just forward of the body which extends down to the back of the body to provide support. Finally, there are "bolt-on" instruments which have an opening in the body where the neck overlaps the body, and where bolts are located which join the neck to the body. Generally, in this type of instrument, the neck joint is made solid so that no movement between the neck and body is possible during use of the instrument. However, the bolts can be loosened so that the neck can be removed from or repositioned in the body.
Acoustic guitars are traditionally set-neck instruments, with a neck heel just forward of the body and extending down to the back of the body. This forward protrusion beneath the neck adjacent the body restricts access to the highest region of the fingerboard during play. Electric guitars are commonly either set-neck instruments or bolt-on instruments. Common bolt-on instruments are economical to the construct and repair. However, the drawbacks of the existing bolt-on designs are that the joint has less side-to-side rigidity than glued necks, and access to the highest region of the front of the fingerboard, near the body, is restricted by the body portion extending under the overlap of the neck.
As the bridge of a stringed musical instrument forms the vibrating end point of the strings for every note that is played, it is therefore extremely influential in determining the sound quality of the instrument. In this regard, it is important that the bridge be securely fastened to the top of the body so that it is fixed in place in order to ensure that energy from the vibrating strings is not needlessly lost. Even with solid body electric guitars, the bridge of the instrument still forms the end point of the strings for every note. A loose fitting bridge or one which is not securely fastened to the top will adversely affect the sound quality of the instrument. Also, anything that affects the position of the bridge--longitudinally, laterally, or the height above the top of the instrument--can affect the sound quality of the instrument. (As convenient nomenclature in describing the present invention, the term "longitudinal" is used to denote a direction generally parallel to the direction that the strings extend, and the term "lateral" is used to denote a direction normal thereto but lying generally in or parallel to the plane of the strings. Similarly, the terms "downward" and "vertical" are used to denote a direction generally normal to the plane of the strings and thus normal to the surface of the top of the guitar.)
The height or spacing of the strings above the fingerboard, often referred to as "action", is generally controlled by the height of the bridge and of the nut, as well as the angularity the top surface of the neck relative to the instrument body. In this regard, tilting of the neck downwardly relative to the guitar body serves to bring the strings closer to the fingerboard, and thus lowers the action. Conversely, tilting of the neck upwardly relative to the body tends to move the strings further away from the fingerboard, thus raising the action. The string/fingerboard spacing is generally a matter of personal preference for the player. However, there is a range or window of desirable action for a player, as no player wants an instrument having an excessively high or an excessively low action. The preference is for the player to be able to maintain the action of the instrument as desired. Thus, a limited degree or amount of adjustability of the string/fingerboard spacing is desirable, not only to accommodate individual preferences, but also to accommodate changes in the guitar's response to the effects of time and environment.
The harmonic length of the individual strings of the instrument is generally determined by the distance between the bridge of the instrument located on the body and the nut which is located on the end of the neck remote from the body. Typically, the nut serves as the base reference point in counting the frets, such that the nut is the "zero" fret. The head of the neck may conveniently be angled away or downwardly relative to the fingerboard so as to ensure that the strings rest against the nut and then extend freely over the fingerboard to the bridge. The intonation or harmonic tone of the strings can be changed or adjusted by changing the distance between the bridge and the nut or other anchor point for the strings.
In many solid body electric guitars, the bridge elements may be adjustable longitudinally toward and away from the nut to adjust the intonation of the individual strings. Also, the overall bridge of the instrument may be mounted so as to be moveable longitudinally. In addition, in some instances, the bridge saddles or string support elements may be moved vertically as well to adjust the height or action of the strings. Although adjustable bridges have commonly been employed with electric guitars with satisfactory results, subtle improvements in tone and/or new piezo bridge pickup technologies make the use of a fixed, non-adjustable bridge desirable.
For acoustic guitars, it generally is undesirable to provide an adjustable bridge. Since sound in acoustic guitars is accomplished by driving the soundboard as a result of string vibration, it is desirable to keep the weight of the bridge as small as possible. Making a bridge adjustable would tend to increase the weight, and would change the overall sound quality and would impact on the soundboard serving as an effective sound diaphragm in an acoustic guitar. Moreover, the presence of moving parts in the bridge can lead to some instability which can degrade the sound quality of the instrument.
Accordingly, for these types of reasons as well as the issue of tone quality, most acoustic guitars utilize a fixed, non-adjustable bridge. Moreover, the action (as well as the intonation) of most acoustic stringed musical instruments is set at the factory, and is not readily changeable in the field. This is a significant deficiency of these types of instruments since different players prefer different settings for the action. Furthermore, the wood of which most guitars and the like are constructed is an unstable material, and the action of the instrument tends to vary with atmospheric conditions. For instance, an increase in the humidity tends to cause the top of the instrument to rise due to swelling of the wood, which in turn increases the action of the instrument. Moreover, the top of an acoustic guitar moves up and down seasonally and as it ages.
Consequently, acoustic instruments without action adjustment present a constant problem in that they need to be returned on a periodic basis to the manufacturer or to the place that they were purchased for adjustment, or in some instances, they need to be returned to the manufacturers by the dealer/retail establishment even before any sale. Although the intonation of an acoustic stringed musical instrument is not as sensitive to variations in atmospheric conditions or over time, any changes in intonation which may be desired also typically require return of the instrument to allow relocation of the position of the bridge on the soundboard. It will be appreciated that any return of the instrument, either before it is ever sold by the dealer or when it is returned to the dealer for periodic adjustment, costs time and money.
Therefore, a strong need remains for a system for mounting the neck of a stringed musical instrument to the instrument body in a manner so as to provide for easy and rapid adjustment of the position of the neck relative to the body, and in particular, adjustment of the action of the instrument. Providing an adjustable neck can provide significant cost savings. For instance, at the time of purchase, dealers will be able to maintain optimal action for the instrument irrespective of the seasonal climate, and will be able to adjust the action to meet specific customer preferences. At the factory, providing an adjustable neck joint or system for mounting of the neck to the guitar would permit acoustic guitars to be assembled from complete, pre-finished body and neck sub-assemblies, and then quickly adjusted for ideal intonation and/or action. In this regard, one of the most significant cause of problems and returns of musical instruments concerns the action height, which heretofore could not be easily, rapidly and accurately adjusted. Further, providing an adjustable neck permits one to maintain the height of the bridge on the acoustic instrument without change, which has an important effect on the tonal response for the instrument. Further still, an adjustable neck would be able to accommodate and provide action adjustment to accommodate seasonal and age changes of the instrument over time. Furthermore, the action could be tweaked just before a performance or even between songs if desired. Moreover, with acoustic electric instruments, which may be used either as an acoustic instrument or an electric instrument, providing an easily and quickly adjustable neck would enable a musician to shift in the field from an acoustically powerful high action to a low electric action in a short time. This would allow the acoustic electric instrument to be adjusted optimally for either acoustic play or electric play, providing a level of versatility that guitars have never known.
There are numerous examples in the prior art of devices and systems for adjusting the action of a stringed musical instrument. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,889,408; 2,793,556; and 3,302,507 all show examples of stringed musical instruments having mechanisms or devices for varying the inclination of the neck to provide adjustable action, such as by means of a tensioning rod, an adjustable tailpiece and/or the use of shims. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,707,192, 1,755,019 and 4,172,404 each show stringed musical instruments in which the neck of the instrument is designed to be tiltable at the forward end of the body and in which some type of spring or resilient means is provided for urging the neck toward a particular position. Specifically, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,019, a U-shaped spring member constructed of resilient metal is provided for attaching the neck to the body. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,707,192, the neck is joined to the instrument body by means of a hinge pin and a resilient material such as rubber or cork is provided between the neck and the body. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,404, the neck is also joined to the instrument body by means of a hinge pin and is urged to pivot thereabout by a coil spring. The orientation of the neck relative to the body is adjustable by means of a slideable plate member having a cam surface engaged by a cam follower provided on an extension of the neck which is urged into engagement with the cam plate by means of the coil spring. Although the devices of such prior art patents are adapted to permit variation in the neck inclination, the constructions as described therein have not proved to be commercially practical, for a variety of reasons, including excessive expense and complexity, insufficient strength or stability, the requirement for excessive clearances, unsightliness, and the inability to adjust intonation as well as the inclination of the neck.
Still other examples of stringed musical instruments having mechanisms or devices for permitting adjustment of the inclination of the neck include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,196,730; 3,204,510 and 3,550,496, all of which show bolt-on necks. In both U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,196,730 and 3,500,496, the necks are removably secured to the body for means of mounting screws. In order to adjust the orientation of the neck, the mounting screws need to first be loosened to allow pivoting of the neck relative to the body. Adjustment screws must then be either tightened or loosened to thereby set the orientation of the neck in the desired position. The mounting screws then must be retightened to secure the neck to the instrument body. While such arrangements do provide for the desired adjustability of the neck to adjust the action of the instrument, the actual accomplishment of such action adjustment involves a number of operations, involving the loosening of the mounting screws, adjusting the neck and retightening of the mounting screws. Such operations can be both time consuming and can require a certain degree of skill in retightening of components. Still further, there is an inherent amount of play with such arrangements which can lead to degradation of the sound quality of the instrument.
Still other patents which show additional arrangements to provide for adjustment of the neck mounted on the body include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,910 and 5,786,539. Both of these patents show arrangements for providing both action adjustment and intonation adjustment. In particular, intonation changes are accomplished by adjusting the distance that neck projects from the instrument so that there thus is a global change in the intonation or harmonic length of all of the strings of the instrument. Action adjustment of the instrument is accomplished by tilting of the neck of the guitar with respect to the guitar body. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,539 discloses particular mounting arrangements to provide a relatively rigid, solid joint in all directions, including side-to-side stability, by applying pressure simultaneously against fixed horizontal and vertical surfaces. However, even in these arrangements, adjustment of the position of the neck relative to the body is relatively inconvenient and time consuming. Many musicians prefer different action heights for different musical styles, and hence desire a means for changing of the action of their instruments quickly and conveniently, and in some instances even during a performance.
The present invention provides for further improvements in providing for action adjustment, and in preferred embodiments, intonation adjustment and rigid, stable mounting arrangements as well. In particular, the present invention is directed to providing for an easy, rapid adjustment of the action of instrument while accomplishing same in an efficient, economical manner without providing inherent instability for the instrument.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stringed musical instrument which comprises an instrument body, a neck extending outwardly from the instrument body and arranged to pivot relative to the body, a plurality of strings attached at one end to the body and at the other end to the neck, and a spring-loaded clamping device for securing the neck to the body while permitting limited pivotal movement of the neck relative to the body. The clamping device includes a spring arranged to provide a biasing force for urging the neck toward a neck seating position on the body, and an adjustment member is moveably mounted on one of the neck and the body and engages the other of the neck and the body. The adjustment member is mounted so as to move in a direction opposing the biasing force of the spring of the clamping device in order to cause the neck to pivot away from the neck seating position to adjust the angular position of the neck relative to the body to thereby adjust the action of the instrument. In a preferred embodiment, the spring member comprises a plurality of belleville washers, and the clamping device comprises a bolt member having a shaft and a head, the shaft being arranged to extend through either the neck or the body and engaging the other of the neck and body, with the belleville washers being arranged about the shaft of the bolt member and positioned between the head of the bolt member and the neck or body through which the bolt member extends.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the instrument body of the stringed musical instrument has a recess for receiving one end of the neck. A mounting device which engages the neck and the body is provided which is operative so as to permit the neck to move between a first position in which the bottom surface of the neck engages the bottom surface of the recess in the body, and a second position in which at least a portion of the bottom surface of the neck is disposed away from the recess. A spring member is operatively arranged to provide a biasing force acting on the neck and the body to urge the neck towards the first position, and an adjustment member is mounted on one of the neck and body and engaging the other of the neck and body. The adjustment member is arranged to act against the biasing force of the spring and is moveable so as to adjust the position of the neck between the first and second positions.
Again, in a preferred embodiment, the mounting device comprises a bolt member and the spring member comprises a belleville washer or washers. Also, the neck is preferably mounted so as to pivot about a pivot axis extending traverse to the longitudinal extent of the neck, and the adjustment member is mounted at a predetermined distance from the pivot axis to cause the neck to pivot about the pivot axis to adjust the angular position of the bottom surface of the neck relative to the bottom surface of recess. Still more preferably, the adjustment member comprises a threaded member threadably mounted in the neck and having an end extending through the bottom surface of the neck to contact a pressure plate provided in the recess of the body. Preferably, the fingerboard of the neck includes an opening to provide access through the fingerboard to rotate the adjustment member. In this manner, adjustment of the action of the instrument is easily and quickly accomplished by simply rotating the adjustment member with an appropriate tool or instrument which may be inserted through the opening in the fingerboard. This could be accomplished either immediately before a performance, or even on stage between songs. And yet a secure, stable mounting arrangement is provided for securing the neck to the body as a result of the spring loading. Conveniently, the amount of force provided by the spring may be on the order of 100 pounds or greater s |